MOTHERLAND NIGERIA WHICH WAY NA?

Written by Amarachi Ogbonnaya

So today is our independence day? Ehen, it doesn't even feel so; there is no happiness in the environment, no pride on anyone's face, Nigeria is like that elderly woman you know who doesn't have any achievement; her marriage and kids are the only proud achievements she has, her husband still beats her, she doesn't work and to make matters worst, she isn't educated and exposed. Nigeria at 58 still feels like the woman above. At 58 what have we achieved as a nation?

I sit and ponder on the affairs of my beloved country and I weep, since last week, Jos has been under serious attack, our politicians are sneering at us and having a wonderful time playing on our collective intelligence in the political sphere, my learned colleagues in the profession (journalism) are busy taking sides, "Politics is a game of numbers" they say, Boko haram is having a field's day bombing, raping and kidnapping the citizens unabaited, "We are negotiating," they said, Herdsmen are busy killing, raiding and destroying the so-called food basket of the nation, while our leaders look the other way.

Do I talk about the many vices going on in the country? Do I talk about the state of the nation? Polity? Electricity? High child-mother mortality rate,domestic violence, religious bigotry? Sentiments, or the tribalistic tendencies of our, "So-called president," or even within ourselves? What about the federal jobs? Do I talk about the just concluded federal road safety commission screening? Or the fact that the applicants were treated like little children all in the name of screening? Do I go further to talk about the state of our hospitals, or the just concluded strike from the National Labour Congress on minimum wage? Are we going to pretend we don't know how much an average Nigerian earn? Or how employers treat employees? Are we asking if there is a law guiding the labor force? Are we asking if it is being utilized?

When I thought about it, a tear dropped out of my eyes, not because I wanted to, but because I had to, I fear for the future of my beautiful unborn babies, I fear for my future, and please don't come at me with that line, "Amarachi don't you believe in God, yen, yen, yen," I probably believe him more than you do, but I know God won't come down from heaven to repair this country. Have you ever gotten to a breaking point in your life? Is that where we are as a nation?

Our youths are running out of this country, yes running, ask a youth if he wants to stay and you get puzzling answers like, "To do what Na," "What's here for me?" And truth be told, nothing, the average Nigerian youth struggles to make ends meet. I remember during my growing up days, my father used to tell me that I should go to school and be educated, that the future belonged to me, guess what? I am out of school, BA, PGD and its like the government has changed the padlock of the future.

Don't tell me, "It is well," that's so average  Nigerian anthem, tell me, Amarachi, how can we correct this error.

I can think of so many things, paramount among them is to stop religious zealousness, this is killing us a nation, that is why a so-called minister will come out and tell us that it is only God that can help save Leah Shuaribu, I can tell us another one, let's stop with the tribalism, it is eating us deep, corruption can only change when these two things changes, then we can collectively take back our country from tyrants and oppressors.

Naija (aka shithole country) we hail thee.